In two weeks I have a 10 day vacation scheduled. We made reservations for 2 nights/3 days at an indoor water park about 1 hour from our home. There aren't a lot of cheap places to eat in the area, so we anticipate having at least two nights of dinners in a tourism area. I planned on packing stuff for breakfast and lunches. Well today my mother invited me to go South with her for 3 nights/4 days for the last half of my vacation. It's a 12 hour trip and she is paying for gas and hotel (which is only needed on the way home). We are visiting family and staying in there lake cabin (for free). I now have two weeks to pull out enough money for food and entertainment. Already living out of a cooler for 3 days (with 2 kids) is going to make it hard to do for another 4 days. So now what? I'm hopeful I will be able to find money for entertainment, but I'm not sure how I can keep the food interesting. I anticipate meals with family while we're there and I'm sure we will do a shopping trip for food while down there. Any tips for saving money while traveling? Creative cooler food ideas?

I think it will work out ok for you. We went on a road trip with my parents in 2004 and our 7 day vacation turned into 21 days. LOL. (My dad had a hospital stay). We stayed with family for a small part of it, but the rest was car travel and hotels.

We had a large cooler in the hatchback and when we were hungry we'd just pull over to a picnic area (if available) or eat in the car. We kept things like deli meats, yogurts/gogurts, string cheese, block cheese, ketchup, mayo, mustard, milk, water (that we refilled at our hotels at night) and occasionally soda or juice. We even had macaroni salad and potato salad sometimes. Oh, and pudding and jello packs were in there too.

In a large tote next to the cooler we kept crackers, chips, cookies, cereal, bread, and a few snacks like fiddle faddle, combos or goldfish, etc. We also kept plates, bowls, napkins, wet wipes, and silverware in there.

We ate most of our suppers in restaurants or with family. We averaged one meal per day in a restaurant or with family.

We took advantage of the ice machines at hotels and filled our cooler with ice each morning before leaving for the day. We only bought ice once or twice during our entire trip.

We also took advantage of the free continental breakfasts offered at the hotels.

We at a lot of sandwiches but it was a lot cheaper than hitting fast food everytime we were hungry.

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The previous tips given are great

If you're staying at a lake cabin, take advantage of the weather and location and do some campfire cooking. Walking tacos (taco meat and toppings added to a small bag of frito/doritos), dogs/burgers, foil pack dinners (no cleanup for Mom!), grilled marinated chicken legs/thighs (great marinade is equal parts of italian dressing and catalina dressing). Sandwiches won't hurt anyone. Get a few things in bulk - granola bars, juice boxes, water, snacks. If you're one that doesn't normally indulge in those kind of prepackaged items, do it this one time knowing that it won't be nearly as expensive to stock up items like that than it would to hit McDonald's every afternoon when you get hungry (I know we can easily drop $15, and there's just 3 of us). Pick up some fruit locally when you're there (ask if anyone knows when the farmer's market is - a neat thing to do as a family). If you're want to eat out, try to see if there are coupons at the hotel for local restaurants, special days where kids under 12 eat free, or restaurants that let you split meals (Red Robin is one; they'll bring a pre-split burger and keep refilling the bottomless fries so you get plenty to eat at half the cost). Pick restaurants where you can feed the most for the littlest amount. Little Caesar's pizzas are 10 slices for $5; we can feed the 3 of us on that, and we couldn't all eat at a burger joint or even a sub place for $5. Ask if they have free refills on drinks. If so, order just 1 or 2 drinks instead of 4. At $2-3 per drink, you've saved some money right there. If you can order and pick up from a restaurant, do that instead of dining in. You'll save yourself the tip, plus any temptation for expensive desserts at the end. Plus, you can bring your own drinks - a few cans of pop from a 12 pk are much cheaper than 4 drinks at $2-3 per. Ask around for Mom & Pop places; they're often cheaper and still very yummy. If anyone has a birthday around the time you're vacationing, check the local restaurants and see if any have a birthday club. Sometimes you get free items, even if it is just a sundae everyone can share as a little dessert. Eat bigger lunches and smaller dinners, then have a small snack (fruit, s'mores, popcorn) later if you're still hungry. If you have to (or want to) eat out one day, do lunch. It isn't as busy, they often have lunch specials and prices are easier on the wallet.

PS have fun!

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I think these are all great tips!

The last time we went camping I wanted to have something with a healthier flare and thought it would be a great idea when traveling. Take a pakage of salad mix and bring one of those salad dressing packets from a pizza shop or McDonalds (they always seem to give 2 packets- if not- ask for 2 instead of one!). I just opened up the top of the salad mix bag- squeezed the dressing in and shook up the bag- the dressing was enough to cover the entire contents (no complaints from DH about not enough dressing!) and it did not make that much more of a mess!

Oh- remember to take some plates with you!

also if you end up eating out ask what the lunch or dinner special is alot of times you can eat for around $5 bucks with a drink.. otherwise save on a beverage order water. for in the car buy a package of crystal light beverage packets to put in a water bottle for variety. what about splitting a lunch? if someone is willing thats a great way to save or getting just the unlimited salad bar at places can be cheap as well.. if you hit a subway you could get the $5 buck footlong and save half in a cooler for the next day or meal. i hope you have a great time it will all work out.

One of the things I did before we went on our last vacation was scoured Ebay for gift certificates and good coupons to use at restaurants so at least it was not as painful to eat out with 4 kids. I bought vouchers for free kids meals at Chili's for $.99 apiece. I also bought a $25 gift card to Unos Chicago grill for $12.

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Amie

Mom and personal chauffer to a 12yo, 8yo, 4yo & 2yo boys.

Beware of gymnasts--may flip without notice.